First Trailer for Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler’ Hits Web (Watch)

It won’t hit theaters until the thick of awards season in October, but The Weinstein Company has released its first trailer for the Lee Daniels-directed “The Butler.”

The film tells the story of Eugene Allen (Forest Whitaker), who served eight commanders in chief during his 1952-1986 stint as the White House butler. Daniels wrote the screenplay with Danny Strong, based on Wil Haygood’s 2008 article in The Washington Post.

The 2 min. 30 sec. trailer gives viewers a first look at the ensemble cast in action, including Oprah Winfrey in her first film since 1998’s “Beloved.”